Heather Seever, Olympic Weighlifter, show our fitness guru Raif Derrazi how to get a workout in at home using common everyday items.
About Raif: On his 27th birthday, Raif’s greatest fear came to life when he was diagnosed with AIDS. Realizing his ‘victim mindset’ he was determined to change and regain control of his life. Seven years later, Raif is now a pro natural competitive physique bodybuilder. And in realizing that so few role models existed for the HIV community, he now talks about his HIV status on social media in hopes of providing guidance and inspiration to others. With a growing YouTube subscribership and following on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook, he shares his life and his journey living with HIV, embracing a fitness lifestyle, personal-growth oriented and inspirationally inclined!
Video Transcript:
Raif Derrazi
I am here with Heather Seever, Heather tell us a little bit about yourself.
Heather Seever
I started Olympic lifting when I was about 10 years old. You know, I did Gymnastics and Basketball and things like that, but I wanted to be around my dad more, even though it was a boy sport, so I was like, “well, I really want to try this, even though women weren’t in the Olympics yet. I loved the competitiveness, and I just kind of stuck with it, and the work that it takes to get to certain level, like, pushed me, always.
Raif Derrazi
I know that you’re a mom, and so you’ve been able to adjust your exercise to accommodate that.
Heather Seever
Even when my son was just a couple months old, I used to pick him up and do air squats with him. You know, I’d even do sit ups where I’d have him over my head and I just sit up with it. And, like, he loved every second of it, ’cause we’re playing to him, but to me, I was like “I’m working out”.
Raif Derrazi
You have some tips for people to be able to use items around the house to still at least have some strength training weight resistance there?
Heather Seever
I do, and it seems kind of silly. I use a book to do air squats with. I use a broomstick to do this complex where you do like good mornings, bar over head, presses behind the neck with a broomstick. Now, yeah, that’s not a lot of weight, that doesn’t really matter when you’re, like, toning, or doing anything. It’s getting people off their butts, getting people moving around, ’cause when you moved around, that’s like, it makes your mind feel better. I even told these people “for 15 minutes a day, just 15 minutes, schedule your time to do a couple things, and you’re golden”. Kind of wanted to help people out.
Raif Derrazi
You’ve been such an inspiration to women and young girls out there.
Heather Seever
When I started weight lifting, only men were going to the Olympics, women weren’t even considered good enough to be able to go. You can still look feminine and be strong, and in all aspects, and I think that weight lifting has always been my, kind of my clutch to show young girls that. This is the control your own destiny sport. Your work is what will get you as far as you can. There’s nothing will filter that at all.
Raif Derrazi
It’s been so great getting to know you and what you’re doing and how passionate your are, and now it’s time for me and you folks at home to get a taste of Heather’s home workouts.
Heather Seever
The first thing we’re gonna do is, you can get any kind of step stool that you can find. You step up on this foot, step up with this foot, sit down, and just change speed. And you do like 3 sets of 10 by each leg. Or, if you’re really good, you can get something else to hold while you’re doing it, and hold it like this, and do these, so there’s more weight on your legs.
Raif Derrazi
I actually put some canned goods in here to make it heavier.
Heather Seever
Use the back of the chair for support, and if you don’t need it, do it yourself. You can hold your arms across, you can hold your arms out. I just say whatever gives you, like, a big chest, when you’re coming up. Fabric softener swing, I guess. So, when I go down, you’re swinging up with your arms, and when they’re coming up, the arms, like back behind their head. They’re also using their legs to swing it up. Yes, the hips! All right. So the first thing I do is I put it on my shoulders, like this, and I do 5 good mornings. You bend your knees a little bit and bend over a little bit with a flat back. That works your hamstrings.
Raif Derrazi
Yeah, I can feel the stretch when I go down.
Heather Seever
Yes, so I do 5 of those, and then after that, I do presses, so I just press up the broomstick with straight arms, and then, pick it over here. So you take it over here, so do 5 upright rows, keep it close to your body and do 5 of those. Then you bend over and you do 5 bent rows. Bring the broomstick to your chest and do 5 of those. And that’s accomplished. And I’m telling you, yeah it might be a broomstick, it will work you.
Raif Derrazi
Thank you so much, Heather. I appreciate you taking the time to show us this!
Heather Seever
Thank you for having me!